Franchise Players: Franchising Instead of ‘Reinventing the Wheel’
September 2014 – Entrepreneur Magazine featured U.S. Lawns franchisee Steve Ferguson for their Franchise Players series. Steve gave his insight into franchising, including why to buy a franchise, why choose U.S. Lawns, and what advise he would give to individuals who want to own their own franchise. Steve and his…
Read moreSix Ways to Be Radically Personal
We’ve talked enough about abstractions like “radical personalization.” Let’s put the idea to work in the context of your daily business. How do you make every interaction personal, from the proposal to the account maintenance phase? Here are 6 tips on taking personal service to the next level: 1. Don’t…
Read moreHow Giving Back Gives You an Advantage
Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. – Andrew Carnegie Corporate giving is nothing new. From Andrew Carnegie’s libraries to the Rockefeller Foundation, American business interests have embraced the impetus to “give back” since the…
Read moreTips for Making Your Business the Best Place to Work
If you know anyone in Jackson who’s looking for a job, do them a favor. Tell them the best employer in town is a family-owned U.S. Lawns franchise with a 15-year history of success. David and Suan Pursell purchased the Jackson territory in 1999, and have recently expanded to Vicksburg,…
Read morePatagonia and The Responsible Company
It’s no surprise that Patagonia’s color is green. The same green as the company’s dedication to environmental sustainability–or the $540 million in revenue it generates annually. Founder Yvon Chouinard knows he’s different, putting forth a business model that focuses on environmental transparency, employee satisfaction and a knack for living in…
Read moreIt’s More Than Just the Customer
After the conference, we asked franchisees what they’d learned. The diversity of answers surprised us. Very few of you focused solely on Customer Satisfaction, or Surveys, or service scores. Instead, you saw the bigger picture, choosing to make Employee Retention or Community Service your next big initiative. This reminds us…
Read moreInspired By Conference, U.S. Lawns Owners Prepare for Change
Music City, USA, got a rousing, boot-kicking, U.S. Lawns welcome at the annual conference, July 24-26. With record attendance, owners and their staff joined to celebrate our success and look forward to tomorrow. Now, the real work begins: implementing strategies to make our network stronger. The theme of this year’s…
Read moreWhy Business Ownership Is The New Job Security
In 2009, at the height of the recent recession, a study found that small business owners were less likely to fear job loss than a typical employee by two to one. Think about that for a second. During one of the most alarming economic crises in American history, business owners…
Read moreFour Qualities of a Successful Franchise
Did you know that, as a franchise owner, you’re statistically more likely to succeed than the average small business owner? As comforting as that is, there’s no denying that some franchisees perform better than others. So, what sets those truly successful franchisees apart? Over the 25+ years our company has…
Read moreFranchise vs. Small Businesses: What’s The Difference?
Entrepreneurship is the American dream. Liberty, prosperity, autonomy–nothing better embodies our national spirit. In fact, many Americans equate career success with owning a business, or “being your own boss.” So, why are small business owners a minority in America? For one thing, the risks of entrepreneurship are high enough to…
Read more